Vibrant Works Bursting from Booths!

Installations and performances are genres experiencing a resurgence. Particularly among younger generations, free-thinking and unconstrained by conventional methods is flourishing. This year, Art Fair is focusing on such new art forms, introducing six artists.








Chim↑Pom, the six-member artist collective that gained attention last May for attaching a painting reminiscent of a damaged nuclear reactor to Taro Okamoto's monumental "Myth of Tomorrow" at Shibuya Station's Keio Inokashira Line, was subsequently referred to the authorities. As their "incident" demonstrated, their style involves confronting social issues as their own and delivering potent social messages. They have also received high acclaim internationally, with their video work created with young people in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, being exhibited at MoMA in New York. At this Art Fair, they will present their ongoing project in Taiwan and plan to offer past works for purchase in formats such as DVDs.

Emerging Artists Pursuing Unique Expressions

Yodogawa Technique, a duo comprising Hideaki Shibata and Kazuya Matsunaga, will be selling furniture. They have garnered attention for their work, which involves collecting miscellaneous discarded materials from places like riverbanks and using them as the basis for their creations. While their base of operations is Osaka's Yodogawa River, they also engage in activities that include collecting materials with local residents in the areas they visit, fostering communication with the community. In Sendai City's Wakabayashi Ward, Miyagi Prefecture, which was severely damaged by the tsunami, they collaborated with disaster victims to collect materials from damaged coastal forests and create artworks. The furniture to be sold at this event is also made from discarded materials.



Among the six artists, Fuyuki Yamakawa, known for his performance works primarily centered on sound, is particularly unique. He is known for performances such as spending a year without using the syllable "pa," and for his humming performances using bone-conduction microphones, which gained attention in a Sony Walkman commercial. His stated aim is to "extend and express the subtle activities and physical phenomena occurring within the body through technology." This time, his installations, including those using guitars, will be exhibited and sold.




Additionally, exhibits will include installations using dust and hair, works by Takahiro Iwasaki viewed through telescopes, and from overseas, Australian video artist Heath Franco, and Korean artist Donghyun Son, who has gained popularity for his works featuring famous Western brand logos. Amidst the diverse artworks at Art Fair, cutting-edge expressions full of stimulation are sure to be found here.






ART FAIR TOKYO 2012
March 30 (Fri) 11:00-21:00
March 31 (Sat) 11:00-20:00
April 1 (Sun) 10:30-17:00
*Last admission 30 minutes before closing

Tokyo International Forum Exhibition Hall
3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Tel. 03-5771-4520 (Art Fair Tokyo Executive Committee)